Education Leaders to Debate if Virtual Learning will End Traditional Public Universities

Educational leaders and elected officials will come together in Florida to discuss the future of public universities amid technological advances and virtual learning.

The Bricks and Mortar in a Digital Age: The Uncertain Future of Higher Education symposium is being hosted by the University of Florida on April 11, marking the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act that established the land-grant university system.

According to organizers, "Relentless financial pressures and rapid technological changes are challenging bedrock principles and raising basic questions about public higher education in America. Is a college education worth the cost of tuition? Can students learn all they need to know online? A century and a half ago, the nation embraced a new notion of higher education when it created the land-grant universities. This symposium concludes UFs yearlong celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Morrill Act with a forward-looking conversation on the next chapter in the public higher education story."

Participants in the event, which will be moderated by Mike Foley, master lecturer, UF department of journalism and Hugh Cunningham Professor in Journalism Excellence, include:

Adam Putnam, Florida commissioner of agriculture

Bernie Machen, president, University of Florida

Jeff Selingo, editor at large of The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of the forthcoming book, College (Un)Bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students.

Daphne Koller, MacArthur Fellow, Stanford University professor of computer science, and co-founder of the online education platform Coursera. (Participating via video from California.)

Mori Housseni, vice chair, Florida Board of Governors

Jackson Sasser, president, Santa Fe College